Arrows and Shields
by Moon Knightress
Summary: TDKR AU. Sacrifice became written on his heart as he stared into her eyes and embrace his warmth over her wounded body. Imagine if Selina was the one who got injured in the sewers by Bane, Bruce was the only one who could restore her. A story about mending the wounds that sear into our souls, trust and finally love between two people who need each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Arrows & Shields**

**Disclaimer: All Characters are own by Christopher Nolan and DC Comics**

* * *

The softness of the moonlight flirting from the windows of Wayne Manor's master bedroom shone over her in the darkness. Discomfort etched across her fragile beauty and pale features, body was overheating with an increasing fever that would keep her motionless throughout the hours of the night as she fell into a deep sleep. The following hour, she fought against the disturbing thoughts that enclosed over her lithe body, her skin trembled and eyes twitched, the breath that pierced out of her lips was shallow and forceful, and then lines of watery blood started to pour down her chin as the pressure became to her right side as she searched for an escape from the throbbing pain igniting inside her.

The third hour, her distressed cries awoke him from a dreamless sleep as he bolted upright from the bedside chair, the shafts of dawn began to outline her slender frame as he stood against the mattress, his tender hazel eyes surveying over her injuries as his shaky hand gently stroked through her dark strands of hair draped over her shapely shoulders. She was releasing piercing cries as he saw tears roll down her cheeks. He took a few steps back and dripped his hand in water into a bowl of cold water, wringing it out as he softly dabbed the coldness over her feverish brow. Lucius Fox warned him not to wake her when she was in this state; rather to allow the morphine coursing through her veins to ease the jabs of tightening muscles and to let her body naturally heal itself. Meaning, even during her hours of recessing against the high fevers rest was the only option at this state. But he stood by her side, his protective dark eyes watching every breath she took, every glimmer of movement her stirring body produced under the drenched Italian cotton of his bed. He watched her toss from side to side, her delicate facial features glazed with sweat as she quivered from the icy chills and cried from the unbearable pain, each time he saw her tears his heart sunk deeper.

He gingerly sat on the edge of his bed, focusing on her curves of her lips and the stillness of her face. He leaned over toward her and carefully grasped her cold shoulders with his warm hands, applying feathery pressure with hope infused inside his eyes that she would opened those coffee-colored eyes and give him a teasing smirk. Those were some of the qualities about her that he desired to see as he sheltered her with his strength. His soothing touch seemed to comfort her momentarily, she jolted against him, the shudders were wracking her out of full force. Without any hesitation, she carefully rolled her off one side, avoiding her bruised ribs and made her back turn to him. He lowered himself close to her, aligning his chest with the plane of her back, enclosing his arms around her waist from behind, inhaling her scent as he rested his head over her shoulder, feeling the mass of her hair brush over his cut-stone features, as he softly whispered gentle words to her as his body heated her shaking form.

He kept her locked in his embrace, feeling her hand envelope over his, giving him reassurance that she was alert in some state of consciousness. She felt her heart reach a steady pace against his smooth pectoral muscles. He held on to her, not desiring to release her from his warmth. A glow of sunrise cloaked over their bodies. Her watery eyes slipped opened, she blinked trying to adjust to the shivers of gold casting over the walls of the bedroom, her senses were highly aware that he was right beside her.

Gingerly she attempted to move to her back but the ache of her ribs kept her frozen as she slightly winded. She clenched her eyes, cursing inwardly at the overwhelming weakness she was enduring. He sensed her discomfort, and gently pulled one arm out from underneath her and reached for the nightstand, dipped his fingers into the cold water and carefully run his fingertips along the curve of her jaw. His cold touch seemed to cool the her burning flesh. He dabbed his finger once again into the water and dabbed the cool liquid over his lips. He brushed her strands of hair off her cheek and bent his down and applied kisses her skin with his cool lips as she questionably looked at him with her blood-shot eyes.

He kissed her along her steamy throat, his moist lips were cooling the fever down as he felt her swallow a harsh breath against his neck. He rubbed his finger over her bottom lip and whispered a low tone to her. "Go back to sleep, Miss Kyle." She closed her eyes again, feeling his kiss of forgiveness caress over the corner of her mouth as he delicately brushed her back off her forehead.

The soft touch of his chilled lips danced along the top of her eyebrows, nourishing kisses, soothed her in a way that allowed her restless mind to drift into a sheltered world of comfort and stillness. "You're going to okay," he whispered against her ear, but to her the rich tone of his voice sounded distant. "I'm not letting anything happen to you, Miss Kyle. You're safe."

He stayed with her the remainder of the morning, his gaze of softening enriched hazel eyes studied every detail of her face as an artist would when staring at a masterpiece has rays of sunlight became captured on her drenched skin. He knew everything small freckle underneath her closed eyes, every line of betrayal etched into her skin. He was a captive of her beauty and dangerous allure as he felt a sword pierce through his heart as he narrowed his gaze at the white gauze covering her wounds.

In those small moments of the stillness of the time where he was just himself with her, allowed himself to watch her heal under his presence with some hope and sense of trust, he felt the tore fabric of his soul slowly being mended by the invisible thread she had given to him. He kept her close to his chest and drifted into a sleep as both of their bodies became shielded by warmth.

* * *

**A/N: I'm taking a new direction for my Bruce & Selina stories. I'm not happy with how some of the stories turned out. So this is a piece for my redemption. In the next chapter it will explain what happened to Selina. This story will also have a familiar face from the Dark Knight included. I'm not spoiling anything. Enjoy and thank you.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_"You're precious betrayer..."  
_

_Batman slowly lifted himself off the concrete floor, blood was dripping from his lip as he watched Selina being lifted into the air with the aggressors massive hand enclosed around her throat, constricting her breath as she kicked him with her heel, digging the sharp edge blade into his gut. "No," Batman murmured weakly. "I have to save her." He staggered to his feet, swaying unsteadily. Crack cowl slipped, and he tasted the warm acid of his blood seep down his throat. His head was pounding, making his vision became hues of red. The entire chamber seemed to be whirling around him, he felt the bile rising from his blood churning stomach. Through the haze , he recognized the symptoms of serious concussion.  
_

_Nevertheless, he raised his fists. He kept his eyes locked on the young woman who was risking her own life to save him, after she lured him into the trap, betrayed his trust and showed her true colors behind the bars of the grate. He thought she didn't care until she performed a back flip off the catwalk, and attacked Bane with ruthless roundhouse kicks and upper cuts.  
_

_Bane turned toward him, Selina shifted her eyes and shook her head._

_Batman refused to stand down._

_"I wondered which would break first-your spirit..."_

_Batman clenched his jaw, noticing an armed mercenary aiming his automatic directly at Selina's body.  
_

_"Bruce," Selina choked down, gasping for breath. "Stay back."_

_Batman threw a punch , put didn't come close to connecting. Bane nodded to the mercenary within seconds a clap of thunder echoed through the entire chamber, behind the damaged cowl, Bruce's eyes welled with scorching tears as he watched Bane drop Selina on the flooring before the brutal leader of the mercenaries placed his army boot on Selina's chest pressing down on her gunshot wound.  
_

_"...or your heart." Bane concluded._

_Savagely, Bane rammed his foot into Selina's side, making her tumble into the stream of rushing water as Batman lifted himself off the ground ready to jump in after her but Bane lunged forcefully at him, knocking him into a pillar and then subduing him with a tight choke hold._

_"I was going to break your wings..." Bane hissed against his ear. "I think losing her with serve as a server punishment."_

Bruce awoke in a gasp, his eyes flying opened and brimming with stinging tears that he shed during his nightmare. His body was trembling and sweat was pouring out of him, drenching over the rich fabric of the main study's couch, and the vivid images of his last battle in the sewers struck his mind with lurking emotion. He blinked trying to shake them off. He couldn't breath as he forced large gulps of air down his throat before placing his hand over his pounding heart as he regained his breath and eased the raging torment coursing through every fiber of his slender frame.

Years of practice through mediation sessions he wielded in the Tibetan mountains, finally managed to calm his trembling body down as he slowly steadied his breathing and dropped his heart rate in a stable pulse. When he felt he regained control of his mind, he swiped his drenched brow with the back of his hand and released a few sharp exhales as he tried to ignore the haunting memories and lurking fears in the back of his mind. He had dreaded to hear another gun going off in the dark, every time time he closed his eyes and tried to drift back into a restless sleep he heard the deafening sound of the gun sounding off and saw the bullet enter Selina's body.

He dropped his face into his hands and straightened off the cushions of the couch, digging his fingers into his drenched strands of dark chocolate as he gripped at the roots while his mind still gathered images of that terrible night.

_His boots sloshed through the murky dense water, his throbbing hazel eyes searched over the clutter of decaying litter. "Miss Kyle," he bellowed, his heart racing wildly against the walls of his chest. He heard a slight moan echo through the air, he shifted his eyes to the direction of the water basin feeling the blood drain from his cheeks. Everything around him turned into a haze of rose as he crashed to his knees and knelt next to her cold and limp body. "No," he rasped, feeling a rough tug on his heart strings as he listened to the faint breath escape from her slightly parted chalk colored lips. "I'm sorry." He caressed his gloved hand on her pale cheek. She was struggled for breath and instantly he lowered himself against her, disregarding the cowl, tossing into the water.  
_

_His handsome and battered face became visible in the shadows outlining over his curvatures as a faint glow of light from a nearby street lamp shone over them._

_"Hold on, Selina." he said, resting his ear against her left breast. Her heart beat was growing faint. "No, I'm not going to lose you." His voice was grinding against his raw throat, bones were throbbing behind the layers of Kevlar and reinforced bi-weave fiber as he felt the sickly blood from the gash on his forehead seep down his sweat-slacked cheek. "I'm not going to lose you, Selina." He yelled, unzipping her suit until the zipper touched her breast bone and gently applied pressed to her chest and counted to five. He parted her blue tinged lips and enveloped his mouth over hers as he breathed his warm breath into her and felt her chest lift against him. Her lungs started to fill with air.  
_

_Only her dark eyes fluttered opened to bare slits, and coughed of a gush of water as he pulled away, watching her show him little ____indication_ of the pain that was coursing through her veins from the pressure of her gunshot wound below her rib cage.

_Selina blinked trying to adjust to the darkness surrounding her, as he listened to her swallowing breathing that should of been fanatic and forceful but instead it was mostly still and compressed, barely pushing through her nose when he pressed his lips back onto her mouth and released a rush of air down her throat. When he pulled away a second him, he applied gentle pressure on her shoulders with his gloved palms, stroking his fingers in soothing motion. He stared down at her, merely inches away from her face, his smudged hazel eyes scanned over her pale and clammy skin as his mind churned with dreaded thoughts as he looked at the line of blood dripping over her bottom lip.  
_

_"You're going to be okay," he said bringing his lips to the damp brow. "I'm not going to let you die." His voice was raging. "You're going to live, Selina." He placed his hand over her cheek as she opened her eyes again and stared up into the softness of his eyes._

_"Mr. Wayne," she strangled with a hoarse voice._

_He nodded, framing his hand over her face. "I can't believe I almost lost you..." his voice trailed, to the wails of sirens in the background. She wheezed out a breath and clenched her jaw feeling the numbness in her side as he threaded his fingers softly through her dampened hair, pulling out the pieces of litter tangled in the long strands draped over her chest. He kissed her upper lip as she kept her eyes focused on him with a questionable gaze as she felt the blood roll down to her neck. She struggled against him, feeling the blast of pain explode in her rib cage.  
_

_He held her gently and said, "Listen to me...you've been shot. You need medical attention."_

_"I'm not going to any hospital," she hissed, defiant._

_"No. If Bane finds out you're still alive." He pursed his lips for a few seconds. " I know place where it's safe."  
_

_"I can't believe you actually care for me," she replied, a ping of guilt rattled in her chest. " After what I did to you."_

_Bruce shook his head. " It doesn't matter. I want you safe."_

_"I don't think I can make it." She gritted her teeth, feeling weaker as she tried to lift herself out of the water."_

_"You'll make it." He spoke with determination burning in his eyes. "You're in my hands now, Miss Kyle." His detached his cape off his plated shoulders and wrapped it over her body. She inhaled the scent of him, comforted by the linger warmth of his body as he grabbed the cowl out of the water and eased it over his face and then enclosed his arms softly around her slender form, lifting her gently out of the murky stench of stale water and positioned her comfortably against his armored chest.  
_

_Her hand found a resting place on his shoulder as he cradled his arms tighter over her back carried her into the darkness._

_"Stay with me, Selina." he said, trying to contain his fragile emotions as he flickered his eyes down to her still body. "Stay with me." He pressed on last kiss on her forehead as he started trudging toward the direction of the Bat hidden in alley nearby._

_She closed her eyes and drifted into an unconscious state, feeling the heat of his body enter through her chilled bones. She listened to the soft pound of his heart and she knew he was her shield against the storms.  
_

"Mr. Wayne," Lucius Fox's voice echoed in his ears, making his dart opened his eyes as he focused his gaze on the older African American man standing in the doorway. "I've come to inform you that Miss Kyle's condition is stable. Her fever as dropped in temperature but it will take her a while to gain mobility. I guessing a three to four weeks before she can walk again. The bullet punctured a few of her nerves but I dosed her with a high concentration seductive to numb the pain."

"Thank you, Lucius," Bruce said in a hoarse tone. " I need you to have the bullet analyzed for thumb prints. We need to find out who is supplying Bane with weaponry and how did he get the location of the Applied Sciences division. I'm guess it's someones close to the chest. One of the board of members had access to the secured files in your office. Search your main hard drives and look over any viruses or decryptions in the last twenty four hours."

Bruce rose from the couch and strode casually over Fox. "We need to move all prototypes from the subbasement into the underground chamber. I can't afford risking the safety of the people of Gotham with the weapons."

Fox nodded, "The subbasement is locked good and tight. There is one prototype that isn't secured."

Bruce's own hazel eyes widened. "The reactor core." he rasped. "I want you to disarm it before Bane discovers the location."

'I'm on it." Fox moved out into the hall. "Anything else you can trouble me for, Mr. Wayne?"

"Nothing I can't think, Mr. Fox." Bruce lightly smiled, before narrowing his dark eyes to the floor. He stuffed his hands into his pant pockets and continued. "If I can get you the measurements of Selina's suit...could you develop a nomnex suit for her that is bullet proof and heat resistant . Easy for her mobility and flexibility. And has to come in black." He felt the edges of his lips turn slightly up. "She suits black."

"I'll see what I can do." Fox smiled back, chuckling lightly at the young billionaire's requests. He gave Bruce a simple nod of the head and continued down long hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The early breeze of mid morning caress of her skin, Selina gently rolled her eyes opened as she found herself slowly awakening from a deep, dreamless sleep to the throbbing sting in her side and the whirl of churning acid in her stomach. She arched her eyebrows, narrowed her sleep-hazed eyes to the rich colored bedding sheltering her pale form and lifted the top sheet and stared at the white gauze wrapped around her chest. This was alarming and foreign for her to awake up in a strange bed and different surroundings.

She shifted her eyes to the sleeping prince of Gotham, and stared deeply at him like a cherished masterpiece. She had never been this close to him before. She had come to find that she, couldn't heal property without feeling the comforting warmth radiating off his body as he was curled under the covers next to her. She peered at the shadows formed underneath his closed yes. the visible roundness in his chin as the right side of his face sunk into the pillow. His lips were sealed tightly enough just to release faint breath. His hand rested atop of the covers, as she gingerly reached out her shaky hand and brushed away the strands of hair that slightly covered his ear.

"Damn," she hissed, wincing as she felt tension ripple in her rib cage.

Bruce slowly opened his eyes as his lips slightly parted, she leaned back slightly away from him as she noticed a shadow cast over his upper lip. "Hmmm..." he grumbled out, slowly raising himself off the mattress with his arms as his dusky hazel eyes blinked to adjust to the warmth of the sunlight outlining over his curvatures as it streamed from the bedroom's windows. The covers fell off his as she squinted and groaned lowly blocking the light reflecting in his eyes with a one hand raised over his brow.

Selina pretended to fall back to sleep, she closed slitted her eyes just enough to stare at the groves of his bare chest pectorals and the definition of muscle sculpted on his compacted torso. He shifted his eyes, watching her, studying her face, his soft eyes were mere inches from hers as he hovered over her, scanning her injury and then moving his gaze back to her face. At then, she dared herself to open her eyes fully, and she stared at the corners of his mouth perk slightly up at the edges as he continuing staring down at her, changeless intense gaze. It alarmed her.

"What?" she asked, voice hoarse. She pulled the sheet over her face, blocking out dark orbs of fiery hazel and forest green. He pulled off the sheet from her face and looked into her eyes with tenderness.

"How do you feel?" he asked, is a quiet whisper. His fingers ghosted over her smooth lips.

"Like shit," she said, grimacing closing her eyes. "Thanks for asking."

"The important thing is that you're safe."

She half rolled her eyes, "Safe," she managed to breath out a despondent laugh. "Handsome, I'm never safe."

"Well, you are now, Selina Kyle." he replied not breaking eye contact with her. He grazed soft his upper lip over her mouth. "Go back to sleep, beautiful."

Hot tears welled in her eyes, and gritted her teeth, still feeling the pressure of the bullet. "You don't have to do this for me. I don't deserve your sympathy, Wayne."

He swallowed. His throat was burning as he felt a fever rise in his veins. "You're right," he responded, he framed her face gently into his hands, "You deserve this," He covered her lips with a warm kiss and pulled away hearing the doorbell rang and the familiar voice of John Blake echoed through the upper level halls, leaving her feeling breathless as she gulped the taste of him down her throat. "If you need anything, Lucius Fox is down stairs in the study."

He sat fully up, stretching his stiff joints only after he had distanced himself from her. A glare of confusion gleamed in her dark eyes as he turned his head and saw the momentary look of confusion locked inside the depth of melting coffee, before he flatten his feet on the cool floorboards and casually grabbed a pair of slacks and a black shirt on the dresser and walked to the door before she could have a chance to speak a few more words.

She sunk her messy dark ringlets back into the pillow and fought against the exhaustion tugging her eyes, as she cradled her arm over the gauze and searched for peaceful slumber while she inhaled the linger scent of him entwined against the cotton of the sheets.

* * *

The drive to the financial district inside Blake's patrol car was full of somber silence, Bruce dressed in a brown leather jacket with tousled windswept hair sat in the passengers seat, staring glumly out the window. On the outside he looked perfectly calm, his hazel-green eyes focused on the busy streets. But Blake knew he wasn't judging by his silent composure.

"What made you decided on the choice of costume," Blake asked, quietly as he braked at the red traffic light. "why bats?"

The billionaire shifted his head slightly and looked at his curious ally before replying, " Years ago I wanted to seek vengeance for my parents murder. I traveled the world, learned many things but near end of my travels I became careless and lost." He paused with a sigh. "I was given a path that not only taught my how to control my anger but also how to harness my fear."

"Fear?" Blake repeated, arching one eyebrow. "You were afraid of bats?"

"Yeah," Bruce replied. "Bats frightened me and I wanted my enemies to share my dread. So I created a symbol of fear and theatrically I embraced my dread and ultimately I became my worst fear." His throat constricted and he needed a moment to collect himself. "The idea of Batman wasn't just to become a symbol that was only part of it. I wanted to restore justice in our city and by doing that I had to manipulate fear in criminality. While not losing myself into the monster that ceased to be human when I wore the mask." It still felt odd to be this opened to anyone besides Alfred about his secret, but he needed to get his mind off Selina's condition and Blake was a good listener.

Blake nodded.

"What made you stop from coming back in those eight years?"

"Sometimes you have to a make choice to save the people you care about," Bruce quickly responded. "I was never a hero. I wasn't like Dent." He lowered his gaze. "I had to do what I needed to do to ensure the safety of Gotham. Sometimes we have to make the sacrifice even through we don't want do...but I made the right choice. In the end the city had its faith restored for those eight years."

"It's damn good that you decided to come back." Blake said, shifting his dark eyes to Bruce. "You and I both know that Batman is the only one who can stop Bane." He braked at other red light. "I'm sorry about what happened to your girl. She didn't deserve that, Bruce."

"The important thing is, she's safe." Bruce instantly assured. "You're right. She didn't deserve to fall victim to Bane's hands. I made the wrong choice that night and because of my careless actions I would have lost her."

Blake wasn't surprised that Bruce cared for Selina. He was only surprised that the mask vigilante was protecting a criminal that was sought for questioning on the Congressman's abduction. He didn't want to bring up that subject not when he discovered the truth about Selina's condition. "I guess you also wear the mask to protect her?" He paused in his words. "Do you need help?"

_Maybe I do, _Bruce thought. He wondered who else might be a candidate to be his ally. A thought occurred to him, along with the memory of a certain tough teenager who was also Selina's roommate. That meeting would have to wait for another day. Right now he was mainly concerned about Miranda Tate's involvement with Roland Daggett "You know what?' he said. "Drop off at Wayne Tower...there's something I need to pick up."

The light turned, and Blake made a sharp left turn as Bruce stayed silent for the rest of the drive.

* * *

After smooth talking his way with the security clerks in the main lobby of Wayne Tower, Bruce was walking through the corridors of the top executive floor, the brown leather of his motorcycle jacket captured the bright ceiling lights as he passed the closed office doors and receptionists. He mounted his feet in front of locked office that had the name : Miranda Tate etched on the slate title next to the door. He removed a lock pick from his jean's pocket and knocked the door while Lucius Fox guided him with instructions through the wireless com piece lodge in his ear.

"Fox," Bruce said gently, adjusting his comlink ear piece against his right ear. "I'm in Miranda office. I'm not...no. I told security that I was picking up a few items from my desk."

Bruce sighed as he walked through office door, listening to Fox's voice explain the details on the thumb bullet analyst that he requested the other day and the results. "I need a full print out of the thumb print scans. I want you to stay with Selina. I'm going to be looking deeper on Daggett's files. I need to find out just what was he after and why Bane was working with him. I'm not assuming nothing. We have to keep this close to the chest, Lucius. Important thing right now is Selina's safety." He paused, walking to Miranda's desk, and flipping through a few enclosed documents with diagrams on the Wayne Enterprises prototypes. "Tate has everything on her desk. How did she get clearance for these hard copies? Lucius - she has all the files on the camo Tumbler prototypes-"

Bruce draw out a exhale of frustration and lifted up one of the folders, surprised the the female executive got hold of his governmental projects of telecommunications. He slipped the piece of paper in his jacket's pocket and causally walked out of the office, his hand grabbed the doorknob, just a familiar exotic tone wafted from behind. "Bruce?"

He glanced over his shoulder and was unsurprised to see who was standing inches from him. He slowly pulled his hand off the knob and turned around curving his lips into a false smile, "Miss Tate," he nodded politely.

"What are you doing here-you know that you're not allowed in the building," she said quickly, her piercing blue eyes scanned over his body for a few seconds. "Why were you in my office?"

"Your office?" he replied, fierce hazel orbs glaring down at her. " I didn't know that you had an office, Miss Tate. Seeing that I was former owner of my family's company I think I would known that you had a permanent stay at Wayne Tower."

"Maybe if you weren't a recluse that hid away for those eight years, you would of known that I am more than investor to your company, Mr. Wayne." she shot back to him. " I think a man who doesn't care about the balance of humanity and wealth should be left in the dark."

Bruce clenched his jaw, feeling his own mask slipping off his handsome features. Clearly Miranda Tate wasn't a woman to be reckon with. He knew from their last encounter at the charity ball he would be on his guard around her. "Then I guess it's time I start stepping of the darkness, Miranda." He moved to his office across the hall, pushed the door opened and muttered, "Maybe you like keeping man like me in the dark."

She followed him inside, and he gathered up a few items off his desk, his parents picture frame, phone charger and a pair of aviator sunglasses from a drawer that he hung over the collar of his jacket -and said, "I'm just gathering up a few things. I'm clearing out in a few minutes...so if you have anything to say...make it quick..."

"It's no wonder you're in a hurry," Miranda sneered. "Since your security clearance has been evoke."

He turned and faced her, his hazel eyes flared. "What?"

"I...think it's best that you leave," Miranda said. "We don't the board members to say the former CEO in the building. They might think you're up to something."

"What's going on here, Miranda," he asked, genuinely confused. " You're trying to extort me..or is it something else?"

"Blackmail." she ejected in an even tone. "No. This is something more severe, Bruce."

Silence fell between them, and Bruce felt a sinister coldness through his heated veins. He kept his intense gaze lock on her, regretting that night they shared during the rainstorm. The only person who was on his mind was Selina but his thoughts ceased when she asked him another question that caught him off guard. "How is the little thief?"

"She's fine." he automatically replied, his eyes locked to her icy blue ones. "Why are you so concern about her?"

"I heard from Fox that she is recovering from a fatal accident. I heard that is she finally stable."

He gave a slight nod, "She's a fighter."

"But she has you to protect her," she stated coldly. "You must care for her. Some like her doesn't deserve the luxury of your treatment."

Bruce stared at her, confession became etched on his sharp features. "She deserves more than that. I..."

"You are a misguided man, Bruce." she berated him. "You lack the courage to do that is necessary to preserve your city and all your resources. Instead your selfish ego only cares about what is close to you. That jewel thief is a distraction just like your moral sense of empathy for the people of this city."

Bruce crossed his arms over his torso, every word that escaped from her lips remained him of the conversations he used to share with his former mentor Henri Ducard before he discovered the truth kept hidden in the shadows. "You don't know me, Miranda," he said, definitely lifting his chin. "I care for the people of Gotham. Just like how my parents did before they died. Your judging falsehoods built from lies from the fellow board members who gladly wanted to see me go after all these years. Judge whatever you want about me. I don't care. Don't make false assumptions about Selina in front of me."

'So you do care about her," Miranda said. "but I'm afraid I can't let you have freedom for your betrayal, Bruce."

Bruce paused for a moment, arching one eyebrow. "Betrayal?" he repeated in a whisper. "I'm not really understanding all of this..." his voice trailed, a he sensed the deception of the conversation, and quickly moved to the door. Suddenly he was caught off guard, she stood in front of him, blocking his exit, her delicate hands touched both sides of her face and red lips smashed themselves against his before he could comprehend to her impulsive move.

His body responded to the coldness in his lungs faster than his mind did, his hands shoved Miranda away, breaking the kiss as he felt a rough hand enclosed around his pulsing throat. He swallowed, listening to the familiar muffled breathing echoing in his ear drums as he struggled against the crushing stranglehold.

"Good afternoon...Mr. Wayne."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Bruce jerked feeling the massive hand squeezing tightly against his throat, slowly cutting off the air supply to his lungs. He struggled against the stranglehold of his attacker, as he felt his back collided hard against the wall. He parted his thinned lips, clenching his eyes shut for a few minutes as the pressure dug into his pulsing veins of his neck. He gasped with a strained breath feeling the tension build within the walls of his chest as he managed to slur out the name of his masked aggressor with one deep, heavy exhale. The infamous mercenary maneuvered his trim body into a submission hold, locking his arms against the groves of the wall.

"Bane."

Then he heard a low breathy bit of a chuckle rattle against the tubes of the mask, "A pleasure that you remember me, Mr. Wayne."

Immediately, his burning hazel orbs shot a lethal glare as it met Miranda's icy steel blue eyes, he leaned his head back against the wall, keeping his arms carefully loose at his sides in an amenable, non-aggressive position near submissiveness.

Bruce lifted his arms straight into the air as his jaw stiffened, gritting his teeth hard while anger seethed up his throat. Bane's rough and scarred fingers gripped the leather collar of his motorcycle jacket.

"Let go of me." He grounded with a half growl, curling his upper lip agaisnt his canine fangs as his breath brushed over the mercenaries black shirt. He lowered his uplifted arm and brought it quickly over both of Bane's thick arms. Then he pulled his arm close to his torso and trapped Bane's arms underneath is grasp.

"We've tried to be reasonable with you, Bruce." Miranda said in a calm voice, clicking her heels toward the desk. She folded her arms over her slender chest, regarded with a displeased stare as the billionaire swing his elbow and struck the lower tubes of Bane's mask and lifted his knee and rammed into Bane's groin.

When he managed to break free, and leap on the office, towering over Miranda. "I have two words for you, Miss Tate." He gave her a piercing stare as he panted, fiercely for breath. "Get out!"

"It's not that simple anymore, Bruce." Miranda snapped back. "You're not apart of this company anymore."

"My family owns this whole building," Bruce shouted, his voice voice slightly crazed and foreign to his own ears. He narrowed his hazel daggers down at her while his body shook violently. His nostrils flaring as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"I'll call security Bruce, better yet I will have Bane deal with you." Miranda replied with a steely gaze, sauntering away from the desk to the doorway. She spun on her heels and looked at him with a remorseful stare as her ruby lips curved into a devilishly sneer. "I would that anger of yours...we wouldn't want anything to happen to your wounded kitten. Have a good afternoon, Mr. Wayne."

He opened his mouth to unleash a cluster of curses on Miranda and felt his rage bubble inside of him as well, but then Bane's massive hands were on his shoulder, pressing deep into the bone. His whole body was shaken roughly, they grabbed him yanking him off his balance as he crashed hard on the chest, landing with a thud on his back. He jerked against the hands and let more curses peal from his lips. His scorching hazel eyes met Bane's dark blue ones as he was pinned into restraining hold.

"Get the hell off of me!" Bruce growled, abysmally. He thrashed his body against Bane's hold, looking at the mercenary's dull eyes as he scowled and shook his arms violently.

"I left you in some dignity last time," Bane snarled in a muffled voice, cracking his thick muscled neck. "This time I will see you suffer, Mr. Wayne."

"You shot Selina Kyle," Bruce grounded out, the growl in his voice was scratching. "Why?"

"Every man has a weakness far great the wounds he carries," Bane's said in a voice tenor : a voice that was both sinister velvet and gruff, with the edge of a exotic accent. "She is your weakness, isn't she, Bruce."

Bruce steadied his warm breath and drove a harden stare at Bane, "She is also my strength." he confessed with a heavy breath, clenching his knuckles. He managed wiggled out of Bane's hold, as he freed his arms. "I am never going to let you touch her again. Never." He made a fist aim at Bane, who caught it easily with a bare hand, squeezing until the bones of his fingers ground together.

Grunting, Bruce attempted to cobra strike Bane in the gut with his other fist, but the mercenary effortless blocked the blow and pinned his wrist against the table. Then he twisted Bruce's wrist bone until a deafening crack erupted into the air.

"You can mend your wounds together."

Bruce screamed as his broken wrist at the edge of the desk, tears rolled down his chiseled sharp cheek bones and continued over his jaw. He opened his breath and gulped for air as the throbbing, dull pain made his fingers grow numb. He recoiled on his side, pressing his injured arm against his chest.

He gritted his teeth, and glared at Bane, thoughts whirling in his mind and tears making his vision grow blurry.

"If you ever talk to my friend like that, Mr. Wayne. I'll break more of your bones until you are a worthless shell of man." Bane growled, with a threatening tone, he pounding his fist in the billionaire's jaw, making Bruce's head bash agaisnt hard against the wood of the desk. "One you feel like hope is lost within your body. Make no mistake I will end your suffering."

Bruce felt his voice crackle in his raw throat as he mouth reminded wide open, his swollen cheek marked with a purple bruise as he listened to the boot steps of the mercenary's army boots move to the door. He heard the muffle breathing waft in his pounding ear drums as the pain of his broken wrist overcame him before his continuous could and as the office door slammed, Bruce slowly lifted himself off the desk, with a crunch of his churning stomach and placed the soles of his boots on the tile flooring, he gripped the wooden edge for support and then his legs became wobbly and he crashed to the floor. He blinked his eyes underneath a few bangs of his dark hair, he could no longer see straight, only a haze of crimson splashed behind his throbbing eyes and the sound of his mobile phone ringing in his jean's pocket was the last he heard before his world engulfed with darkness.


End file.
